Tag Archives: Crimson Tide

“I am the last barman poet. I see America drinking the fabulous cocktails I make. Americans getting stinky on something I stir or shake. The sex on the beach, the schnapps made from peach, the velvet hammer, the Alabama slammer...” – Tom Cruise in 1988 Cocktail

The “poem” alludes to “you’ve got the peaches” used in the lyrics for Pour Some Sugar On Me which I co-wrote with Joe Elliott. I also used “peach and black” in the lyrics for U Got The Look performed by Prince & Sheila E. The rest is taken from the University of Alabama college football cheer “Rammer jammer, yellowhammer, give’em hell Alabama.”

Tom and I were discussing the plot for the movie, before the script was written. He asked what I would name the bar and off the top of my head said, “Cocktails & Dreams”.

There are only a few people who really know how proud I have been to watch Tom’s career over the years and he made me feel a part of it. It’s not something I talk about, except in letting his career inspire me when coming up with new songs. One such song happen to be “Raise Your Glass” performed by Pink.

“Right, right, turn off the lights
We’re gonna lose our minds tonight
What’s the dealio?
I love when it’s all too much
5 a.m. turn the radio up
Where’s the rock ‘n roll?”

“5 a.m” was a reference to Alarm Clock used in the lyrics for Imaginary performed by Evanescence and Tik Tok performed by Ke$ha. This also lead into naming Nikki Sixx’s band Sixx A.M.

Even lines in the movie inspired verses in Raise Your Glass. Bryan Brown as Doug: “When you see the color of their panties, you know you’ve got talent. Stick with me son and I’ll make you a star.”

“Party crasher, panty snatcher
Call me up if you’re a gangsta
Don’t be fancy, just get dancy
Why so serious?”

Despite the fact that Kurt Cobain made a connection to Charles Barkley who in 1983 played for Auburn University before going pro, I am a die-hard University of Alabama Crimson Tide fan.

One of the most iconic figures in SEC football, Paul William “Bear” Bryant, passed away only days after Def Leppard’s Pyromania album was released on January 20th 1983.

The day after the concert, May 16, 1983, when Joe Elliott and Kurt Cobain showed up at my front door after school, my room was decorated with memorbilia of my school (colors also being red and white) and the Crimson Tide.

While trying to promote the Lipizzaner Stallions touring the U.S. in April 1983, PBS aired a documentary of the stallions at the Spanish Riding School in Austria which I watched.

There was a discussion later where I argued with someone about whether or not the stallions were from Spain or from Austria.

In August 1989, on the same trip to Gulf Shores which inspired the name for the band 3 Doors Down, I also made a short trip over to Mobile, Alabama to the Battleship Memorial Park. We crawled around the USS Alabama and the submarine the USS Drum. Also, at the park happen to be the USS Lexington which has since been moved to Corpus Christi, Texas.

(picture of me on the USS Drum submarine)

When I wrote the song Tourniquet to be performed by Evanescence, I make reference to the Crimson Tide.

“I tried to kill the pain
but only brought more
so much more
I lay dying
and I’m pouring crimson regret and betrayal” – Tourniquet

Amy Lee

Singer, songwriter, founder of the band Evanescence. I was discovered by Joe Elliott, lead singer of Def Leppard, and a yet unknown Kurt Cobain in May of '83.
I am not the lead singer Amy Lynn Hartzler.